Roger-Luc Chayer (Image : AI generated / Gay Globe)
Rise in HIV Diagnoses Among Youth: What Santé publique France Really Says
The French organization Stop Homophobie published an alarming update yesterday on its Instagram account, citing data from Santé publique France, reporting a significant increase in HIV diagnoses among young people aged 15 to 24. Stop Homophobie added that more and more young people are affected by HIV, mentioning a 41% increase over ten years and noting that young gay men remain particularly exposed due to limited interest in PrEP.
An Increase Presented as General, but Nuanced
Although partially accurate, this presentation mixes several elements, and it is incorrect to claim a generalized increase among all youth aged 15 to 24, for the following reasons:
Santé publique France Data from 2014 to 2023
According to Santé publique France, the 2014-2023 report shows that between 2014 and 2023, the number of young people (15-24) discovering their HIV-positive status increased by 41%, while among adults aged 25 to 49, the number decreased by 15%, which is good news in itself.
In 2023, 906 young people in this age group were diagnosed with HIV, clearly illustrating that the epidemic is progressing within this segment.
An Increase Concentrated in Certain Subgroups
However, this rise does not necessarily mean a widespread HIV outbreak among all young people: HIV testing has also significantly increased — which can lead to more cases being detected — and the increase mainly concerns specific subgroups (notably young people born in sub-Saharan Africa or living outside Île-de-France).
Detailed Figures for 2023
Going further into the report, in 2023, 906 young people aged 15 to 24 were diagnosed HIV-positive, corresponding to a rate of 11.1 cases per 100,000. For comparison, among adults aged 25 to 49, 3,347 diagnoses were recorded, a rate of 16.3 per 100,000. Among these young people, the vast majority are cisgender men, and very few were under 18 years old at diagnosis.
Origins and Most Affected Profiles
Geographic origin reveals a significant difference: about half of the young people diagnosed in 2023 were born in sub-Saharan Africa, while about 37% were born in France. Compared to adults, young people were less often diagnosed at an advanced stage of infection but were more frequently co-infected with another STI.
Widespread Testing Among 15-24 Year-Olds
Testing also plays a major role: nearly 910,000 young people aged 15 to 24 were tested for HIV at least once in 2023, representing a rate of approximately 111 per 1,000 in this age group. All these data indicate that the increase in diagnoses among young people cannot be explained solely by more frequent testing but by varied realities related to sex, origin, stage of diagnosis, and co-infections.
An Increase That Requires Nuanced Interpretation
It cannot be said that the rise is due to immigration, but the figures show it mainly concerns certain subgroups, notably young people born in sub-Saharan Africa, which nuances the idea of a general increase among all young people.
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